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Saturday, October 1, 2016

WILDCAT OF THE WEST

WILDCAT OF THE WEST

In 1989, I
discovered the first book in a cool series of tennis thrillers featuring international
tennis star and sometimes-CIA assistant, Brad Smith. The books were published
by Tor, who was also published my first three novels. I never knew the author
of the series, Jack Bickham, but I enjoyed each adventure in the six book
series as it hit the bookshelves.

Only recently,
however, I discovered Jack Bickham’s earliest novels were western paperback
originals published under various pseudonyms. Without a doubt the most original
of these efforts were the fifteen novels Bickham wrote under the pseudonym Jeff
Clinton featuring Wildcat O’Shea—the flightiness, drunkest, hardest-headed,
most colorful, largest galoot to ever hit the trail. Wildcat is certainly not
your standard western hero, but you’d definitely want him as a friend,
especially in the middle of a bar fight.

There have been
other humorous western characters, most notably Hashknife Hartley and his
partner Sleepy Stevens created by W. C. Tuttle during the ‘30s for the then
uber-popular western pulps (http://tinyurl.com/ht5ffnj).
Tuttle also created the pulp character Henry Harrison Conroy, a
down-at-the-heels vaudeville comedian reluctantly turned Arizona sheriff (http://tinyurl.com/jkce5ky). In both of
these series, Tuttle deftly merged the western and detective genres holding
them together with humor as the glue.

Like these
predecessors, Wildcat appears to be a little slow on the uptake, but nothing
much actually misses his notice. His penchant for drinking and fighting is
often at odds with his common sense, but when trouble breaks out he hits harder
than anyone around. Wildcat also has heart, he is an amiable companion, and you
just can’t help liking him or laughing at the predicaments he gets himself
into. Make no mistake, though, there is enough gunsmoke and action to keep
traditional western fans onboard.

On his fact filled
website (http://www.benbridges.co.uk),
prolific bestselling western writer, Ben Bridges states Wildcat was first introduced
in an earlier western by Bickham, Hangman's Territory, under the name Boom-Boom
O'Malley. However, while this name didn’t stick, Bickham liked the character so
much he began a new series in which the character’s new handle was Wildcat
O'Shea. Bickham stated, Until Boom-Boom came along, I didn't know I could
write humour. I enjoyed writing about the guy...The moment I wrote that first
half-drunken scene with him, my imagination lit up from the exaggeration and I
thought I had someone special.

In The Fighting
Buckaroo, Wildcat also shows off his sense of sartorial splendor—Wildcat
felt a flush of pride. He had worn his best, by jingo, and he was making an
impression! Oh, they’d sit up and take notice, all right, when a man with some
real fine clothes and gear rode in. Wildcat had painted his saddle flaming
orange, and his boots green and yellow. He wore a new blue hat, wide brimmed, a
red shirt and deep blue Levis, a black vest and fancy Mexican spurs with purple
rowles. He hadn’t messed with his Colt revolver, or finely oiled holster, or
with the Winchester in his saddle boot. With these the action and not the looks
was what counted…Yes, Wildcat makes quit an entrance.

The Wildcat
adventure are a hoot and filled with action. They have become some of my
favorite western tales...

WILDCAT O’SHEA SERIES

The Fighting
Buckaroo (1961)

Wildcat's Rampage (1962)

Wildcat Against the House (1963)

Wildcat's Revenge (1964)*

Wanted: Wildcat O'Shea (1966)

Wildcat Takes His Medicine (1966)

Wildcat On The Loose (1967)

Wildcat's Witch Hunt (1967)

Watchout For Wildcat (1968)

Wildcat Meets Miss Melody (1968)

Build a Box for Wildcat (1969)

A Stranger Named O'Shea (1970)*

Bounty On Wildcat (1971)*

Wildcat's Claim To Fame (1971)*

Hang High O'Shea (1972)

*Four of the
fifteen Wildcat novels sported cover illustrations by James Bama (best known
for his Doc Savage covers and much more) making them highly collectible.

*Wildcat’s first appearance was as Boom-Boom O'Malley in Hangman's Territory, which Bickham wrote
under his own name.